Steam-engine.



A. R. CARTER.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION r1150 nEc.9,1915.

Patented May 2, 1916.

WITNESSES:

A TTOR/VE vs ARTHUR RICHARD CARTER, F HAMMOND, LOUISIANA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

LlfiLillll.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed December 9, 1915. Serial No. 65,976.

for example, as forms the subject of my allowed application for PatentNo. 11563. In that invention, four (4:) slidable pistons are employed,the same being connected in pairs whose members reciprocate'together,

and the piston cylinder is provided with five (5) ports that serve indue order for inlet and exhaust of steam. My present improvement is of asimpler type, there being but two pistons and the cylinder provided withbut three inlet and exhaust ports. The

improvement is, therefore, particularly adapted for light work; and tostill further adapt it, I have made it easily convertible from atwo-piston to a single-piston engine 2% by means at once simple buteffective.

The details of the improvement are herein described with reference tothe accompany ing drawing, in which:

Flgure 1 1s in part a horizontal section an and in'part a plan view ofmy improved engine with the movable parts connected for operation in thenormal or usual manner. Fig. 2 is a similar view, save that the pitmanconnected with one of the piston rods W is detached and such rod and thepiston with which itordinarily connects are secured in fixed position,whereby the engine is converted into the single-piston type. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of theparts an employed for securing one of the pistonsin the fixed position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pitman orconnecting rod, which is detached, for converting the engine.

The cylinder 2 is provided with a central it steam port 10 and two endports 11. In

Figs. 1 and 2 the valve 5 is shown in position to admit steam throughthe central port, between the pistons 3 and 3, so as to drive them apartin opposite directions, as indito cated by double-headed arrows, whilesteam is exhausting through the end ports asindicated by single headedtailless arrows. Upon the pistons reaching the limit of their outwardstroke, which position is indicated 1% by dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2,the valve is reversed and consequently the port 10 becomes the exhaustand the ports 11 admit steam between the pistons and the heads of thecylinder. Thus the pistons are driven apart when steam enters throughthe port 10, and are driven toward each other simultaneously when steamis admitted through ports 11. It is obvious that these oppositemovements of the piston require correspondingly opposed positions of thecranks on shaft 1. In consequence of the balanced relatlon of the pistonand connected parts, the operation of the engine is remarkably even andsteady and smooth.

vTo convert the engine fronrthe type in which two pistons reciprocatesimultaneously, as in Fig. 1, it is necessary one of the pistons shallbe fixed in position while the other is left free to reciprocate in theusual manner. To effect this, one of the connecting rods 8 or 9 must bedetached, and I preferably remove the rod 9, which, in the double typeof engine, is connected with the hollow piston rod by means of a cufi'or block 12 having at one end a bore or eye to receive the piston rod,and at the other a reduced portion constituting a wrist-pin. On thiswrist-pin the connecting rod 9 is mounted. To hold the piston 3 fixed inposition, the cuff 12 is rigidly connected with the adjacent end of thecylinder by means of a link 13, and an elbow-shaped rod 14, which screwsinto the end of the cylinder and thus serves as a supporting bracket.Thus the cuff 12 serves in the two-piston type engine for attachment ofthe connecting rod 9, and in the single-type engine it serves as one ofthe means for securing the hollow piston rod rigidly connected with thecylinder. The cuff is secured to the hollow piston rod by means of aclampscrew 15. With the piston 3 thus secured rigidly in the positionindicated it will be seen that it takes practically the place of theright-hand end of the cylinder 2, steam being alternately admitted to,and exhausted from. the space 10 between the two pistons, and thecylinder space on the left-hand side of the removable piston 3. Inbrief, by the attachment described one piston is fixed and the otherleft free to reciprocate. where by the engine is particularly adaptedfor performing light work economically. The conversion of the enginefrom one type to the other may be very easily and quickly effect;

ed. A screw plug 16, or some equiv-a lent devlce, must be employed toclose the right-hand steam port'll to effect conversion to thetwo-piston type.v

I claim I 1. The improvement in steam engines of themultiple type,consisting of a cylinder having a central and end ports which servealternately for inlet and exhaust, a valve governing the-admission ofsteam, and two pistons adapted to reciprocate in opposite directions,simultaneously, rods detach-- obly connecting said piston with the creektheft, end here torseorring one of the piston rods to the cylinder andvthus holding one of the pistons fixed in position,

the same comprising a removable connecting rod, a cufi' secured on thepiston rod, a bracket attached to a fixed part a of the engine, and alink connecting saidv cuff and bracket detachably, thus converting theengine from the multipleto a singlepiston type, as described.

3. The improvement described comprising a three port cylinder having oneof its ends constructed integrally or solid with thehody of the some, treoiproottirn, relvt,

end two pistons tdtpttd to reciprocate within the cylinder in oppositedirections simultaneously, hollow and solid piston rods connected withthe respective pistons, a crank shaft with which the piston rods are inturn connected, and means attached to the hollow-piston rod and rigidlysecured to the integral end of the cylinder as described. ARTHUR RICHARDCARTER, M- D.

Witnesses:

' H. G. HUNGATE,

RoB'r. L. CARTER.

